As soon as Ahn Dong-Gyu mentioned the word comeback, Ha Jo-Eun blinked in surprise. "What... What did you just say? A comeback?" "Hasn't the President contacted you yet?" Just then, Ha Jo-Eun's phone rang, almost on cue. Ahn Dong-Gyu shrugged. "Looks like he has now. Go ahead and answer." Frowning, Ha Jo-Eun answered the call. "Yes, this is Ha Jo-Eun." As the call began, her face started to twist. "A hold... What do you mean? Why all of a sudden? How can I respond if you don't give me a reason?" Oh Han-Guk didn't mention the reason for the hold on the appointment. It was to buy time to investigate what I had told him. Ha Jo-Eun protested nonstop against Oh Han-Guk, but in the end, she yelled and gave up. "Let me make this very clear... Even if you're the president, I won't just let this go!" Ha Jo-Eun hung up after practically shouting into the phone as if she were about to sue Oh Han-Guk. Then she glared at Ahn Dong-Gyu. "Hey. Ahn Dong-Gyu. What the hell did you do?" Ahn Dong-Gyu smirked like a victor. "That's none of your business. I'm busy, so get out. I need to prepare for the broadcast now." With a burning glare, Ha Jo-Eun looked back and forth between Ahn Dong-Gyu and me. Her eyes were so fierce it looked like she might tear us apart, but unfortunately, that was the extent of her power. In the end, she left the control room without doing anything. The door to the control room slammed shut. Ahn Dong-Gyu smiled, curling the corners of his mouth. At that moment, the expressions of the talent agents drinking coffee turned pale. Ahn Dong-Gyu took a deep breath and addressed the now cornered agents. "What are you all doing here? Didn't you hear we have to prepare for the broadcast? And who brought drinks into the control room? What if the equipment gets damaged? Are you going to pay for it?" He yelled as if scolding them for sticking with Ha Jo-Eun so spinelessly. The talent agents holding disposable coffee cups quickly stood up and bowed their heads. They all put their hands behind their backs, hiding the cups. "We-we're sorry, Mr. Ahn." "Sorry, we only came in because Mrs. Ha told us to..." The talent agents mumbled excuses and bowed deeply. Clearly, they hadn't expected Ahn Dong-Gyu to return so soon. The talent agent from TNT Entertainment who had called me dumb was completely out of it. Some of them were belatedly regretting not following me. 'That's why you should've followed when I moved.' The idea of a 'Star Jung's pick' didn't only apply to selecting actors or projects. Eventually, the talent agents had no choice but to shuffle out of the control room. Among them was Ma Dong-Pal, awkwardly bending his large frame to fit through the door. 'Goodbye now, Mr. Ma Dong-Pal~' Once Ha Jo-Eun and the talent agents left the control room, Cha Tae-Hee greeted us brightly. "Mr. Ahn!" "Hey, PD Cha. Good work." "Oh, it was nothing~ You're the one who worked hard. Things must've gone well, huh?" "Yeah. Thanks to Chief Jung." Cha Tae-Hee looked at me with a satisfied smile. "Mr. Jung. I'll treat you later. Not just coffee, but soda~ How about it?" I smiled. "Sounds good to me!" Ahn Dong-Gyu chuckled as he spoke. "Later, my ass. We're drinking now. And... how about a soda for everyone~?" The staff didn't seem to care much for Ha Jo-Eun either as they all readily agreed. "Soda sounds good for us too!" Cha Tae-Hee joked, "Didn't you say no food or drinks allowed?" Ahn Dong-Gyu shrugged. We'll drink in the break room. Come on, let's head to the convenience store on the first floor. Looks like too much to carry alone." Cha Tae-Hee giggled in agreement. "Oh, but before that, we should let the staff down in the studio know that you're back." "Oops, you're right. It totally slipped my mind." Clearing his throat, Ahn Dong-Gyu spoke into the mic, addressing the staff in the studio. "Hey~ It's CP Ahn. There was a little mix-up, but I'll be taking over Music Stage again today. Also, any instructions CP Ha gave while I was gone—whatever they were—are all canceled. Back to the original plan. Got it?" Cha Tae-Hee whispered beside him. "Park Eun-Bin was moved up ahead of Sae-Ri in the lineup. That needs to be fixed too." Ahn Dong-Gyu nodded. "And restore the original performance order! All of it! Understood?" With a new captain at the helm, the ship was changing direction. At the same time, the Everyday schedule entry was being wiped. [Date: February 14, 2021] (Deleted Schedule Entry: [NEW. Kim Sae-Ri] Kim Sae-Ri. Fumbles repeatedly on KBC's Music Stage. "Achieving first place postponed to next week.") With the schedule entry gone, Sae-Ri's win was now certain. Happy Valentine's Day had officially begun. After enjoying the snacks and sodas Ahn Dong-Gyu bought, there were still three hours left before the live broadcast. I said my goodbyes to Ahn Dong-Gyu and headed toward the waiting room. On the way, I called Lee Soo-Chan just in case Oh Han-Guk couldn't find evidence on Ha Jo-Eun. "There's this CP named Ha Jo-Eun. Can you assign a private investigator to follow her?" -You mean the one who loves sucking up? "Yeah. She often visits a wine bar called W in Cheongdam-dong. If she shows up there, let me know immediately." -Got it, hyung-nim. I'll inform the private investigation agency. Just as I was about to enter the waiting room after finishing the call, my phone rang. [Caller ID: Sung Ji-Yeon] It was a call from Sung Ji-Yeon, the fan club president managing fans outside the broadcast station. When I picked up the call, she urgently asked me to come out. Thinking something might have happened, I headed out of the building right away. As I approached where the fans were gathered, the girls started waving. "Mr. Jung! Over here!" "Hey. What's up? What's going on?" When I rushed over, Sung Ji-Yeon handed me a blue steel case. It was the size of a 007 briefcase, made of glossy aluminum in blue with shimmering silver pearl accents looking flashy and eye-catching. On the case was written: [♡ Kim Sae-Ri ♡] "What is this?" I asked. "It's a custom mic! It includes a receiver and in-ear monitors. The paint job was delayed, so it just arrived." Sung Ji-Yeon and the fan club had pooled their money to create an expensive custom mic. With the receiver included, the mic cost over ten million won. As expected, each of the three thousand fans contributed five thousand won to make it happen. "When did you plan all this?" "Well, it's Valentine's Day and Sae-Ri is a first-place nominee. We were originally going to give it to her after she won, but honestly, we just couldn't wait." I smiled and said, "Sae-Ri is going to love this." "I hope so. We really want to see her sing with this mic and win today. Mr. Jung, can you please ask her to use it?" All the fan club members answered with excited faces, as if rehearsed. "Yes, Mr. Jung! We really hope she sings with the mic we gave her." "Please make sure to tell her." Thinking about the microphone filled with the heartfelt support of three thousand people, it felt even heavier than when I first held it. I nodded. "I'll definitely tell Sae-Ri." "Thank you. And please tell her to do her best today! Our Cherry Blossom Family, no, Blooming, is cheering for her!" The fans, now calling themselves Blooming, were waving their hands energetically. Just like the name Blooming, their faces were blooming with full smiles. I returned to the waiting room. Sae-Ri tilted her head when she saw the case in my hands. "Oppa, what's that? It looks really pretty." The shiny blue steel case must have caught her eye, as her eyes sparkled with interest. "It's a Valentine's Day gift." I handed her the case. "It's from the fan club. A gift for you. It's a mic and in-ear monitor set. They said they really want you to sing with this and win first place." Sae-Ri accepted it gently, her eyes filled with emotion. "Ah, seriously. I'm so touched~." With a thrilled expression, she carefully opened the case. The metallic sound echoed as the blue case slowly opened. Inside, on the lower half, were a glossy blue mic, extra mic heads, and a receiver. All the equipment was painted in glossy blue, covered with countless tiny silver stars. It looked like it was saying Sae-Ri was the star. And on the upper half of the case, matching blue in-ear monitors were neatly placed. Sae-Ri began to tear up. "Sniff~ Oppa... Can I... can I really accept something ?" The company was already preparing custom mics for Sae-Ri, Cherry Blossom members, and the rest of the singers, but this gift held much deeper meaning for her. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and hold it." "But it's too precious to use." "Still, hold it. You need to get used to it quickly." Sae-Ri nodded and gently took out the mic with her small hand. It was as if the handle had been made to fit her grip perfectly. "Ah~ this feels amazing!" She trembled slightly like she was feeling a thrill. Then Sae-Ri asked, "But oppa, what's this?" Beneath the mic, [♡ Kim Sae-Ri ♡] was engraved, and next to it was a silver QR code. "Yoon-Ho Oppa, isn't this a QR code?" "Why is this even here?" At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind. "Sae-Ri, hold it up so I can scan that real quick." When I aimed my phone and scanned the QR code, it instantly opened a mobile webpage. [Support List for Sae-Ri's Custom Mic & In-Ear Monitors] -Sung Ji-Yeon, Han Kkot-Nim, Park Han-Byul, Yang Ji-Woo, Lee Sae-Jung, Park Eun-Joo... The site listed the names of every fan club member who contributed to the mic. It was as if to make Sae-Ri feel like they were singing along with her while she held the mic. Whoever thought of it deserved praise. I held out the phone to her. "Sae-Ri, look at this." As Sae-Ri looked over the list, tears started welling up in her big eyes. "Oh... Oppa. Are these the fans who paid for the mic?" "Yeah. Three thousand of them." Sae-Ri scrolled through the list on the screen while wiping her tears. Then, with a desperate expression, she asked me, "Yoon-Ho oppa. I want to go live on Instargem right now. I want to thank the fans!" I took back my phone and was about to start the Instargem Live broadcast. But Sae-Ri held my phone and said, "Oppa, I'll read their names from this phone." "Sure. Then let's use Ran-Hee's phone for the broadcast." Do Ran-Hee set up the Instargem Live on her phone and got the camera ready. "Mr. Jung, it's good to go." Then I messaged Sung Ji-Yeon to tell the fan club to join the live stream. Moments later, fan club members gathered outside the broadcast station started to join in as the live began. [Instargem LIVE - Broadcasting] At that moment, Sae-Ri held my phone in one hand and the mic in the other, then addressed the fans. "Thank you, everyone! I received the gift so well~ I'll definitely win first place today with this mic~." When Sae-Ri waved the mic in front of the camera, the chat window exploded. -Sae-Ri, you got this! We are rooting for you! -Let's go for number one! -World's best, Kim Sae-Ri! Sae-Ri beamed and waved even more. Then she added, "Oh, and... I turned on this broadcast because I wanted to read the names of the people I'm thankful for." With that, Sae-Ri started reading the names listed on the page. "Thank you so much for giving me this amazing gift~ Sung Ji-Yeon, Han Kkot-Nim, Park Han-Byul, Yang Ji-Woo...." Starting with the four from Hoengseong Girls High School's girls, she began reading every fan's name one by one, clearly and slowly. She was filled with gratitude as she read. But then, a chilling realization hit me. 'No way... she's not actually going to read them all, right?' Reading one name took at least two seconds. Speaking clearly and breathing would take about three seconds. With three thousand names total, at three seconds each, that was nine thousand seconds. One hour had three thousand six hundred seconds, so it would take over two hours and thirty minutes to finish—And there were about two hours and fifty minutes left until the live broadcast. I thought about stopping her but figured she would stop on her own soon. But this was Sae-Ri we were talking about. Sae-Ri didn't stop reading the names. [Instargem LIVE - Broadcasting] [Broadcast Time: 2 hours 40 minutes and counting...] -Sae-Ri, that's enough. Please stop. -Yeah, you can stop now. You don't need to read mine. -Please, Sae-Ri. Really, it's okay not to keep going~ -Unnie! Save your voice! The fans were overjoyed in the first ten minutes. After all, their favorite idol was calling their names. But after thirty minutes, Blooming started to worry. Sae-Ri needed to save her voice to win today, and they were concerned. After an hour passed, fans began to panic and begged her to stop. Even though I thought about stepping in, Sae-Ri firmly shook her head and kept going. After the hour and a half mark passed and it hit two hours, fans began to tear up on stream. Even then, Sae-Ri kept smiling brightly, continuing to read each fan's name without missing a beat. In the end, I kept handing her water to help her protect her voice. And finally, two hours and forty minutes later, Sae-Ri took a breath and read the last name. "Choi Sung-Yoon... Everyone... thank you so, so much." Finishing her words, Sae-Ri raised her hands above her head and formed a heart. Immediately, the chat window burst into a flood of messages. -No, Sae-Ri. We're the ones who are thankful! -Seriously... being your fan was the best decision I ever made! -I can die happy now. -Kim Sae-Ri! I love you!! -My name is Choi Sung-Yoon... I never imagined you'd actually say it... Fans wrote the comments, overwhelmed with emotion. I too felt a lump in my throat and clapped for Sae-Ri. In both my lifetimes, I had never seen a singer so genuinely devoted to their fans. I was just thankful that my second life is being filled with warmth from kids like Sae-Ri. Even Do Ran-Hee clapped with an emotional expression. As the waiting room filled with the sound of applause, Sae-Ri gave her final sign-off. "Alright then, everyone~ Bye~~! I'll do my best to sing with this mic, so please watch the live show later!" Only then did Sae-Ri end the live stream and look at me. She looked tired, but her face was glowing. I said, "Good job, Sae-Ri." Sae-Ri gave me a gentle smile. Just then, an AD knocked and stepped into the waiting room. "Mr. Jung. If you have the custom mic and in-ear monitors, please hand the receiver over to the audio team." "Just a moment please~." Do Ran-Hee hurriedly picked up the receiver and in-ears and followed the AD out. The waiting room door closed. Now it was just me and Sae-Ri. With thirty minutes left before her stage, I focused on helping her recover her voice as much as possible. Thanks to the warm tea and some rest, Sae-Ri's condition improved. That's when AD Jung Tae-Jin entered the waiting room and called Sae-Ri's name. "Miss Sae-Ri. It's time." Clutching the custom mic in her hand, Sae-Ri stood up from her chair. "Okay." We followed Jung Tae-Jin slowly toward the stage. Standing under the dark stage, Sae-Ri placed her hand on her chest, waiting for the previous singer's performance to end. A moment later, the song ended and the lights dimmed. After greeting the singer who was leaving the stage, Sae-Ri looked at me. "Yoon-Ho oppa. Today... I'll definitely win first place." "Yeah. You got this!" Then Sae-Ri smiled with her eyes and added, "And... a Valentine's Day gift for you is coming soon." With a mischievous smile, Sae-Ri stepped onto the stage. I was curious about the gift. But more than the present, what filled me with joy was how far Sae-Ri had come. The girl I thought would stay a little kid forever was now on the verge of becoming the industry's top singer. Just then, my phone buzzed. When I checked, Sae-Ri's Valentine's Day gift had just arrived.